‘The long running saga of whether Uber drivers are workers has been decided in the Court of Appeal and a split court has granted permission to appeal. This blog analyses the differing approaches in the Court of Appeal and the arguments that are likely to be advanced before the Supreme Court.’

‘The judgment of the English Court of Appeal in Uber B.V. & others v Aslam & others (Case No: A2/2017/3467; 19 December 2018) has been hailed as a victory for workers. Uber’s business model, in common with many digital platforms, depends on classifying its drivers as independent contractors, who do not enjoy the rights of “employees” or “workers”. In essence, the majority of the Court endorsed the finding of the Employment Tribunal (ET) that these contractual provisions “do not correspond with the practical reality” and that the notion of Uber in London as “a mosaic of 30,000 small businesses linked by a common ‘platform’ is to our minds faintly ridiculous.”’

‘The delivery company DPD is being sued over the death of a driver who collapsed after he missed hospital appointments because he feared the company’s practice of charging drivers £150 for missing work.’

‘The Supreme Court judgment in the Pimlico Plumbers case has been hailed as a victory for workers in the gig economy – and a blow for organisations that rely on large numbers of ‘self-employed’ contractors. In fact, the judgment largely confirms what we already knew – that employment status must be considered on the individual facts of each case and what happens on the ground is more important than the wording of the contract.’

‘In a landmark decision this week, the UK’s Supreme Court held that a plumber was entitled to employment rights during his time working for Pimlico Plumbers – despite the company saying he was only a freelance contractor. RightsInfo takes a look at what impact this ruling might have on others working in the so-called ‘gig-economy’?’

‘Uber is to provide additional protection for its drivers and couriers across Europe, including 70,000 in the UK, with limited insurance against sickness and injury as well as small maternity and paternity payments.’

‘A combination of high profile cases and policy announcements about the so-called “gig economy” has a particular resonance for technology companies. Technological change has transformed the labour market, which has given added urgency to finding better solutions to three much older problems:

– How should we best draw the line between the independent contractors, workers and employees?
– Should the self-employed and employees be taxed differently?
– How should personal service companies be treated for tax purposes?’

‘The government is under pressure to change the law to tackle bogus self-employment and protect workers in the gig economy after a report published on Monday by two influential parliamentary committees.’

Sign up for the daily email

“Current Awareness is the simplest and most reliable way for lawyers to keep up to date with what is going on in the legal world. The Inner Temple Library team never miss an important event or article.”